Preaching Through The Bible

Michael Eaton
Genesis
Driving the Vultures Away (15:7 11)

Part 51
A covenant
is a promise
with an oath
Three kinds of
covenant

Noahs
covenant of
generosity
eight ingredients

Abram had expressed his anxiety 1, and so God began making a covenant 1 Genesis
with Abram to help him. We have come across covenant before in Genesis. A 15:2,3
covenant is a promise which has an oath added to it.
There are three kinds of covenant: covenants of obligation to a senior,
covenants of generosity towards a junior, and two-way covenants between
equals. In Genesis we have seen the covenant of generosity for the world 1 6:18; 9:19,
through Noah 1 and now we have another covenant of generosity which God 11, 12, 13, 15,
makes for Abrahams seed through Abraham (see Genesis 15:18; 17:2, 4, 7, 7, 16, 17
9, 10, 11, 13, 13, 14, 19, 19, 21, where the word covenant is used).
Noahs covenant was a covenant of generosity. We saw once before some of
its ingredients.
(i) It has a promise.
(ii) It has an oath; it is a promise with an oath added to it.
(iii) A covenant of generosity has a beneficiary, someone who is receiving the
blessing of the oath. (A different kind of covenant, a covenant of law, has a
victim, a target, a person who is obliged to swear allegiance.)
(iv) A covenant of generosity is unconditional, after it has been given, although
(v) it might be given as a reward.
(vi) A covenant may take time to take place because it is not settled until the oath
is given.
(vii) A covenant may have attached to it a sign or symbol of some kind.
(viii) A covenant involved the shedding of blood in some kind of sacrifice.
Now we take a closer look at these matters, in connection with this covenant
with Abram.

Achieving our
calling and
entering into rest

Gods
covenant
with Abram

In a nutshell the teaching is this. A covenant is a bond or relationship with

God. Christians are in covenant with God. Christians have to get to a level of
obedient faith so that God takes an oath to them personally. The covenant to
Abram has already been made, so their salvation is secure. Abrahams seed
will not be lost. Yet our own oath of Gods mercy must be personally sought
from God. When God swears in His mercy then our calling will be achieved, the
Christian enters into rest with regard to that particular matter. However I am
jumping ahead! Let us come back to Abram and see how this matter works out in
his life.
In the case of Abram:

1. Began with a
reminder

1. The covenant began with a reminder. Genesis 15:7 tells Abram what God
has done for him (I brought you out...) and what the purpose of his salvation is
(. . . to give you this land to possess it). The word possess is linked with the
Hebrew word for inheritance. It means possess as an inheritance.

The purpose of
salvation is
inheritance

The purpose of salvation is inheritance. God brought us out in order to bring us

in. We were brought out of idolatry in order to be brought into our inheritance.
Inheritance is not salvation, but it is what initial salvation is leading towards.

2. Has a
promise

2. The covenant has a promise in it. Verse 7b reminds Abram of the

promises. This is what I want to do for you, says God. I am wanting to fulfil
these promises in your life. I am wanting you to achieve an inheritance in this
land of Canaan.
3. Covenant is designed to encourage and to motivate. Abram has doubts 1 15:8
. Although he has been given the promises several times 2, Abram still has 2 12:13, 7;
doubts. It seems such an immense thing to believe. There is not much indication 13:1417
that anything that he has been promised is actually happening. Abram often
wonders whether he has misunderstood.

3. Encourages
and motivates

Abram is
unsure

So here he asks O sovereign Yahweh, how may I know that I shall possess
it?. He is unsure. How may I know? he asks. In reply God starts a covenant-

making procedure. Covenant-on-offer is Gods encouragement and Gods

motivation to believers who might be overwhelmed by doubts.

The covenant
is on offer at
this stage

I think it is important to realise that the covenant is only on offer at this point.
As the story of Abraham develops it will become clear that the oath is not
actually given until Genesis 22:16 when God says By myself I have sworn. At
the moment God is offering an oath, but the actual swearing of the oath does not
come until later.

4. The covenant
begins with
blood -sacrifice

4. The covenant begins with blood-sacrifice. Five animals are brought and 1 Genesis
are killed 1. They are the same five clean animals that are used in the later 15:910
sacrificial system in the law of Moses. Covenant always has the shedding of
blood as its starting-point. This was the custom of the ancient world, but it also
has importance in the gospel of Jesus. It looked forward to Jesus. The death of
Jesus on the cross for our sins is the starting point of any relationship with God.
One cannot even begin to be in relationship with God unless sin is atoned for in
some way. So in the ancient world, the shedding of blood came in at an early
stage in the procedure of any covenant.

A look forward
to the blood of
Jesus
5. The one
receiving the
promises has to
protect the
blood -sacrifice

5. The one receiving the promises has to protect the blood- sacrifice. Two
rows of partly sacrificed animals are laying there in the open countryside. In the
evening Abram will be given a revelation and will learn more of what God is
promising to do for him, but for the moment the pieces of the sacrifice are laying
there exposed. Not surprisingly vultures are swooping down from the sky
seeking to snatch up the pieces of the sacrificed animals. It is a familiar sight to
anyone who has travelled in tropical countries. Abram stays there driving away
the birds of prey that are swooping down from the sky seeking to seize pieces of
meat. Eventually God will speak to him but while he is waiting he must protect
the blood sacrifice.

The basis of
every blessing
we receive is the
blood of Jesus
Christ

The basis of everything that will come to Abram is the shedding of blood and
he must not let anything damage or spoil the sacrifice that God has provided.
Something like this is involved in the Christian life. The basis of every blessing
we receive is the blood of Jesus Christ. Vultures will swoop down from the sky to
detract from the cross of Jesus. Some preachers will stress some particular
favourite doctrine and soon you have a semi-cult with no atonement in its
preaching. Paul said God forbid that I should glory in anything except in the
cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The vulture of
scepticism and
religiosity

There is the vulture of scepticism and religiosity. Many religious people do not
seem to realise that the basis of Christian faith is the cross of Jesus. Sometimes
they are offended about talk of Jesus atonement. But the sacrifice of Jesus is
crucial; the vultures must be driven away. Without the blood of Jesus there will
be no inheritance, no experiencing of the promised blessings of God.

Dr Michael Eaton is highly respected internationally as a theologian, author, preacher and

teacher. He lives in Kenya where he is one of the leaders of the Chrisco Fellowship. His
Preaching Through The Bible (PTTB) books are highly popular worldwide. Michael Eaton
puts the theological and practical meaning of the Bible in a clear and down-to-earth way so
that what is written can be easily understood by the reader.

These specially reformatted chapters Slices of Bread produced by Sovereign World Trust are available in three categories as set out below

Slices for the Nations

For pastors, libraries and colleges in those

parts of the world where resources are
scarce and unaffordable
In the fullness of time the whole series will
be made available free of charge
Weekly emailings of 3 - 4 Slices or available
to download from the Slices web site

Slices for Sponsors

Slices for Everyone / Slice of the Week

For those in more prosperous

circumstances who can afford to contribute
to the development of this material and its
distribution with a small monthly donation
The same material as Slices for the Nations
Weekly emailings of 3 - 4 Slices or by
download from the Slices web site

For those who wish to sample the material

or dip into it from time to time, a
proportion of the PTTB series is available
free of charge
Slices for Everyone (as a download) or Slice
of the Week (attached to a weekly email)
The remainder of the PTTB material is
available to Sponsors and those eligible to
receive Slices for the Nations

To subscribe please contact: slicesofbread@sovereignworldtrust.org.uk stating which category fits your situation. Further details are at www.slices.org.uk
Details of the availability of Preaching Through The Bible books and how they may be purchased can be found on www.ibtr.org.uk